A Lesson in Forgetting
by Cheddar the Cheese
Summary: At number four Privet Drive, Dudley Dursely is his parent’s darling, the bane of Harry’s existence, the king of the hill. But what’s he like at school? See through the eyes of one of his class mates as they both learn a few lessons about life.


Title: A Lesson in Forgetting  
  
By: Cheddar  
  
Summery: At number four Privet Drive, Dudley Dursely is his parent's darling, the bane of Harry's existence, the king of the hill. But what's he like at school? See through the eyes of one of his class mates as they both learn a few lessons about life.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the HP Characters mentioned herein.  
  
Rating: G~ It's harmless  
  
Notes: Two things: First, I set Smeltings up as a boarding school just because it worked out better that way. And Please please please tell me what you think!  
  
Every one forgot my birthday this year. I turned Seventeen and all I got was a card and a few pounds. One of the teachers threw me a party with a cake and people only came because they had to. After they sang to me they all went off and did their own thing while I sat in a corner reading the card they'd signed. Happy Birthday. From: Anne or whoever. None of them said anything personal. Just Happy Birthday. Seventeen.  
  
But that's not to say I had a bad day that day. Actually it was pretty good. My class went into the city to see a play and I didn't really let the whole party thing get to me. I figured the cards from my parents would show up in the next few days. But none came. I got a few pounds, like I said, from my grandmother who is richer than hell and I know she could afford to send me more than she did. None of my friends got me anything. My boyfriend said he was broke. What kind of excuse is that? Never mind.  
  
So here I am. It's a few days later. I've thought more about suicide in the past three days than I have in a long time. I bet they'd really put me in a clinic again if I tried it again. Hey, at least they'd be taking notice of me. The hallways are all dark and empty this time of night. I like it like this. I can be alone with my self-pity. I know I sound spoiled and bratty but you'd feel the same.  
  
But now there's footsteps at the end of the corridor. Who would be out this time of night? It's nearly four. Who ever it is, they're big. They're lumbering down the hallway and I search franticly for a place to hide. The last thing I need is for my dorm mates to find out I was wallowing in pity out in the hallway in the middle of the night. I'd never hear the end of it. But there's no place to go. Wiping my tears on the sleeve of my shirt I huddle back into the shadows and hope that who ever it is doesn't see me.  
  
He's lumbering own the hall. God, this kid is huge. I'll bet it's that kid... um, Dudley? Probably out to get a midnight meal or two. Every body knew about him. The school was very close to throwing him out. He was pig- headed, stupid and could only just squeeze into his uniform. Sad really when you think about it but then I'm not one to talk. I let out a small groan. He's the last person I want to run into.  
  
Unfortunately, he heard me. "Who's out there?" he calls. His voice is high and frightened. God, what's his trauma? "Umm..... I'm going to tell Smith there's some one out here!" Good. His voice went back down an octave. Not great but I won't go deaf.  
  
With a sigh I give up on trying to hide. "You idiot. If you go tell Smith that I'm out here, he's gonna wonder why you're out here." He thinks about it for a minute. Kind of sad that he even has to. I'm not worried. It's not like that old coot of a caretaker would do anything anyhow. He's just an old man that the school hired because he was an alumni who needed a job. He sleeps at night just like the rest of us.  
  
"Oh," Dudley finally says. I roll my eyes and sit back down. "Hey, why are you out here anyways?"  
  
"You wouldn't understand," I tell him.  
  
He looks at me blankly for a moment before coming to sit next to me. With his girth though, he has to struggle to do so. He finally does after some grunting and other noises I could have lived without hearing. We sit there in silence for a few minutes. I could have sat there like that all night but he has to go and break the silence.  
  
"Maybe I would," he murmurs.  
  
"Huh?" I ask. I know, not the most intelligent thing to say but hey, when in Rome and all that right?  
  
"You said I wouldn't understand. Maybe I would."  
  
I give him one of those looks. You know, the kind that says 'yeah right but I'll probably tell you anyhow just because I feel that sorry for myself.' "I doubt it, " I tell him.  
  
Now he sets his jaw in a very pig like way. "Try me."  
  
I feel like groaning again but look where it got me last time. "Right, because you, little mister rich boy has people ignore his birthday every year."  
  
"Well no, but..." He can't think of anything I guess because it's suddenly gone very quiet.  
  
"I thought as much," I say to him and I get up o leave.  
  
"But people ignore me," he says. I stop where I'm standing. Now I feel all guilty. What can I say, I'm Catholic.  
  
"I'm sure that's not true..."  
  
"No, it really is," he insists. "People only notice me because I'm so fat. I don't want to lose weight because then every one really will ignore me." Well, what do you say to that? Damned if I knew.  
  
I sit back down. Silence again. I feel like I should say something and looking over at Dudley I can tell he feels the same. But then I really look at him. Sure, he's the fattest kid in school with the meanest personality but the entire time we've been sitting here, he hasn't said one mean thing. But that's all I really know about him. Once people are done teasing him or being picked on by him, he seems to disappear. After that, he's just one of the shadows on the fringes of your mind.  
  
"People notice you for other reasons too," I finally say. There, that was diplomatic as hell and said everything I should.  
  
He glares at me but his heart isn't in it. "They only notice me because I'm mean or stupid. Both most of the time. And they think I don't notice."  
  
"No, that's the point. When people make fun of you they want to see you cry. Come on. Every one saw what happened out on the field today. You wee crying like a little kid. People pick on you because they know you'll react." I wish I could take it back now. He's crying and struggling to get back up and run away. "Wait," I say. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it."  
  
With a great sigh the falls back to the ground. "Yes, you did mean it. It's true."  
  
Silence in the hall way. I'm suddenly very aware of the stiff carpeting beneath me and the chill of the cold cement wall behind me. It was painted in several shades of the school colors to brighten it up a little but only serve to make it worse. Like a mural on a prison wall. Why anyone would want to come here is beyond me.  
  
Dudley sighs. "If I lost weight, would you notice me?" Dear, God! He's flirting with me! I look at him again. He's not horribly ugly under all that fat. I almost think he could some day be cute if he lost most of that bulk. He seems to take me silence as rejection though and that religious guilt washes over me again.  
  
"Noticed you tonight didn't I?" I ask.  
  
"But you..." He doesn't know what to say. I don't either. I only noticed him because I was looking out for someone. I hardly knew his name. He's the last person I'd sit with during dinner if I had a choice. But other than to make fun of him, Dudley was only king of the rest of the losers here at Smeltings.  
  
We sit in silence for a few minutes. They are long minutes that draw themselves out until the feel even longer. I am thinking that maybe all of this wallowing in self-pity ended up being more trouble than it was worth when Dudley does the very last thing I expected. "Thank you," he says. "For noticing me." He leans closer to me and find that his fat stomach gets in the way but he presses on as it presses into me. I feel revolted by it but he leans still closer and plants a clumsy kiss on my cheek. And he gets up to leave.  
  
I am left sitting in the hall the same as I was just a few minutes ago but something has changed. Somehow I know I've made a friend tonight. I know he'll be the type to be clingy but some how I'll put up with it. We'll be there for each other and all that rot right? For ever and ever and everything. And I know that it should bother me. I should be squirming at the thought of spending all that time with fatty Dursely. But I'm not. And that confuses me more than anything. But then again, maybe he'll remember my birthday next year. God only knows no one else will.  
  
Please reveiw! 


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